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CNBC reporter apologizes for insensitive remark on Japan disaster

March 14, 2011 | 11:42
am

It's one thing to be a bottom-line kind of guy like CNBC markets reporter Larry Kudlow, but it's quite another to be "grateful" that the human toll is worse than the financial one in disaster-plagued Japan.

Kudlow, speaking during a live segment about the global economy on Friday, said, "The human toll here looks to be much worse than the economic toll, and we can be grateful for that."

He backed up slightly a moment later, noting that, "the human toll is a tragedy; we all know that." But the damage had already been done, especially since a ticker on screen was giving estimates of the fatalities quickly mounting from the massive earthquake and devastating tsunami. (That number is expected to top 10,000).

Criticism poured in, and Kudlow sent out a contrite Tweet: "I did not mean to say human toll in Japan less important than economic toll. Talking about markets I flubbed the line. Sincere apology."